This photograph shows the flamingos from an aerial perspective. If you would like to see them close up, an image online search will provide plenty of photographs.
Driving into Kimberley from the Gauteng way, there is a beautiful dam as you enter the town of Kimberley. In that dam, if you are fortunate at a particular time of the year, you will see thousands of pink birds with their long feet standing in the water.
Why am I talking about these flamingos at the moment? Well, for two reasons. The one is that they are a spectacular sight. Nature always provides beautiful sights, and these pink flamingos are wonderful to see. The second reason is that if you are traveling to Kimberley, you might want to take a look at the flamingos in the dam there. The best times to see them is probably from November to about May.
There have been some major problems to threaten the flamingos, one of which is the local council of Kimberley’s neglect of the dam, which has become polluted. This is normal in towns in South Africa, unfortunately. The second one is drought. One wonders what’s going to happen with this El Niño phenomenon expected during this summer season 2026.
The dam is Kamfers Dam, just north of Kimberley, and it is one of the most important wetland sites for Lesser Flamingos in Africa. The birds are present throughout the year, but September and October can be particularly spectacular, when the numbers can reach into the thousands. The breeding season generally runs from about October to April.
There is not much one can do about the drought for the flamingos, but one hopes that at least the municipality will pay attention to them and the quality of the water. For goodness’ sake, even the casino there is named after them: the Flamingo Casino.
Apart from the flamingos, Kimberley does have some interesting things to see if you are stopping there. The obvious attraction is the Big Hole and the Kimberley Mine Museum, while the William Humphreys Art Gallery has an important collection of South African art. There is also the McGregor Museum for those interested in the history of the area. But if you are simply passing through or staying overnight, Kimberley is not a town where you are likely to need several days to see the sights.
That makes the flamingos at Kamfers Dam all the more important as a natural attraction. They are something quite different from the historical and cultural sights of Kimberley, and a spectacular sight for anyone driving into the town.
Let’s hope that this natural phenomenon of flamingos flocking to Kimberley will remain, and that the problems will be dealt with. It’s an awesome sight.
